Finding freelance work.

My husband's cousin, who also graduated with an editing minor, recently contacted me to ask how I found work as a freelance editor. Finding work is naturally one of the more stressful parts of the job; without something to edit, you can't get paid. And even if you find a project, once the project is over you may need to start the search all over again. Here are some ideas:

Self-Publishing Presses. When I moved to Pittsburgh, I didn't have a job and I wanted to edit. So I Googled "publishing press in Pittsburgh." The library chain for Pittsburgh (Carnegie Libraries) had a website that listed some publishing houses in the area. The list included university presses, self-publishing presses, school material publishers, and more. First looking at the list a year ago, I was disappointed that I couldn't find any blatant job postings; I felt that I would be seen as desperate if I emailed a press asking for a job. A year later, I realized that's the only way to go. I picked a couple presses off the list (based on my interest and experience) and emailed their managing editor, describing my experience and attaching my resume. One press said, "sorry, don't need you," and the other asked, "how much do you charge?" And now I freelance for the latter. 

University Presses. While this route didn't work for me, if you live in a city with universities, they are bound to publish anthologies and journals on a variety of topics. Try contacting someone at the press to see if they need an editor. 

ESL Editor. Carnegie Mellon University, where Brian goes to school, has a large foreign student population. Most universities will have a percentage of students who speak English as their second language, and as such, usually need some grammar help when writing college-level papers. This extends even to graduate students writing dissertations and theses. Even people who speak English as their first language need their dissertations edited. So advertise on campus! Make a nice flyer with your rates, contact info, and maybe something to establish your credibility, and hang them up around the university, focusing on communal bulletin boards. If you have a certain subject you'd rather edit, figure out which building houses those kinds of classes and advertise there. You may need to ask permission. 

Local Writing Groups. I ran into a neighbor who has a writing group of about ten people meet at his house every week. Many of them are interested in self-publishing and really need an editor. When he realized I had experience editing, he said he would spread the word and see if anybody wanted to work with me. Try searching online for these kinds of groups; if you get a job with one member of the group, you could likely get a job with another member. 

Online editing. There are several websites where you can advertise or find editing jobs (thumbtack.com, craigslist.com, odesk.com, freelance.com, etc.). These are a last resort for me because I feel like I don't always look as appealing on a website, and you typically have to start out with really low rates until you get good reviews from people. This site has some more detailed ideas about online freelance jobs. 

That's all I got, folks. Feel free to share your own ideas or ask questions! Happy Sunday!